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Rattling Creek Trail Work - Fix the Bridge!

Submitted by kuhndog on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 12:17pm

Hey all, the Rattling Creekers are replacing a big ass bridge this coming Sunday that was washed downstream in that hurricane a few months back. Work in the AM and then get in a sweet ride in the afternoon on those IMBA Epic approved trails maybe?

Here are some deets:

Here's the official word from the Rattling Creekers:

--------------------------------

All,

The bridge retrieval is definitely going to happen on December 4. We will
meet at the west end of Doc Smith Trail. This is the end nearest the
intersection of Doc Smith and Rattling Creek Trails. We're not quite at 20,
but we expect some to just show up and we feel confident we'll have enough
to get the beams moved out of the creek and hopefully put back in place over the creek by the time we finish up.

Please bring boots and/or hip waders if you own them and plan to get wet.
The temps are to be above freezing but not by much so anything you own that you would use to help out with getting wet in cold water and cold air temps.
I'm thinking along the lines of neoprene gloves, booties, wetsuits type
things if you feel the need and have anything like that on hand.
The creek is about a foot to 2 feet deep at spots and there's one 2.5', or
slightly deeper "hole" at one spot under the bridge.

Definitely bring a change of clothes/shoes to change into after the work is
done.

We'll have Clif bars and water on hand.

-We plan on removing the treads from the big bridge to break it down into
two separate beams. I estimate these beam to weigh ~1000 lbs.
-We will then use a come-along to drag the beams out of the creek.
-After that we have 10- 10 foot lengths of rope with handles on each end
that we intend to loop around the beam spaced along the length of a beam to
allow 20 able bodies souls to line up, 10 on one side and 10 on the other,
to work together to move the beams the short distance to get them back to
the original location. We'll move both beams into position to stage them to
be set into position.
-We have cut a path to allow us to move the beam to the creek and intend
to move the beams across the creek into position onto the existing piers.
-This will be the final step at the end and is where we see the need for
people to get wet !!! Saving this for the very end should limit the amount
of time we will be wet (and probably cold) and then get everyone into that
warm change of clothes that they've packed to change into.

Thanks to everyone that can make it to help out with this project. We're
feeling the love of the Rattling Creek trails!